About DCBA - Historic Projects
Historic Projects Undertaken by the DCBA & Dublin City Council
Pedestrianisation
Many people, including overseas visitors, remark on how nice our pedestrian streets are. Overseas town centre managers are astonished at the bustling crowds on our city streets. In 1980, the DCBA initiated with the Department of Environment the pedestrianisation of Henry Street, Mary Street, Liffey Street, North Earl Street, Grafton Street, Lemon Street and Duke Street. Whilst the work by Dublin City Council has been spread over a number of years the foundation for the extension of pedestrian streets has been created. The introduction by the DCBA of electronic CCTV Footfall counting has confirmed the figures and success of the city centre as a walking and people-friendly city.
Street Art
Over the years, DCBA members have been involved in sponsoring and installing street art in public places - notably the statues of James Joyce, the ladies with the shopping bags, the girl swinging from a lamppost and Molly Malone. All of these statues were a significant departure away from revolutionary, political and religious images to reflect a more people-friendly, peaceful democracy. A large number of temporary art pieces such as the moving bird in O'Connell Street and the world famous Cow Parade, have also been displayed. The Spire of Dublin is perhaps the most recent public art project. It reflects a modern Ireland that points to the future, and at the same time is a local focal point and reflects passing Dubliners. Recent surveys by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of DCBA reveal that the Spire of Dublin is now seen as the new icon for Dublin.
City Centre Shopping
In the late 1960s shops closed at lunchtime on Saturdays and the pace of business was rather slower than today. Over time, the city opened for shoppers to reflect the new society emerging in Dublin. Now shops are open seven days a week including Sunday, which has become the third busiest day of the week. Late night shopping on Thursdays was led by DCBA members, and currently the shopping day is extending into later openings with many shops now open until 18.30-19.00 hours. All of this has facilitated the shopper who is time poor as a result of long commuting times. Some shops are now opening late on Wednesday nights and no doubt this will grow as city centre workers use this time for their benefit instead of wasting it as commuting time.